Tuesday 4 April 2017

The OH Travel Nurse, she says yes...well, once I've had a few jabs that is.


Evening all - me again, ๐Ÿ™‹

Well as you will be aware I am off to Africa to undertake a nursing elective - sorry did I spoil the surprise? my bad.

Anyways, to go on said elective I have had to see the OH travel nurse. Nice lady in fairness.
We ๐Ÿ”ญnavigated our way through may past vaccinations of which I have had a few.

It's always a moment of chuckles when someone exclaims "Ooo you've had rabies!" ๐Ÿ˜ท

Just to clarify, I haven't had rabies the illness, just the vaccination for it.

So anyway, there we are, going though what I have had and what I need. Turns out that there were a few things that had question marks over them and I left it to her to find out and clarify the finer points.

I have to call and speak to my GP to see if they will give me the Typhoid jab.๐Ÿ’‰ If not then the nice OH/travel nurse lady can do it there.

She was very good in explaining about the anti-malarials in fairness. A brand I would have bought for this trip would have been a waste as I understand that it's now, no longer effective against Mozzie Osborn and his band of high pitched, wheezing, blood sucking followers.

On a side note - there's always that one that gets into your room at night, from somewhere, and you lay there, listening, pin-pointing the sound with deadly accuracy that MI5 would pleased to have - then WALLOP!!!!! 
You hit that tiny buzzard with a bloody great sandal! Just to be sure you get it. You then retire back to bed with a victorious grin. Come on, we've all done it, be honest....ah there you go, yes you. 

Welcome to the 'Mullered Mozzie Mob'.

I am sure you have equally attractive names for them!!

Anyways, back to what I was on about before.

As for things like Yellow Fever and the meningitis jabs, these are the finer points she's checking out. However I haven't heard from her today so I shall try and call tomorrow.

Yellow fever is a bit of a sticking point to be fair.
You see, the thing is, I haven't been to a yellow fever country and so for Tanzania itself, won't need the jab. ๐Ÿ’‰Great news!

However, if I go to Zanzibar while there, (for the culture of course and not the ๐ŸŒžsun, ๐ŸŒŠsea and ๐Ÿ–sand!!) I am not sure that I will be allowed back in to Tanzania because Zanzibar is apparently a yellow fever zone? I'm sure you can see where the sticky wicket comes into play here!

So what do I do?    It's ok...it's a rhetorical question, just my meanderings as usual. 

I have said I will have the jab but I wont be given it because it's simply not needed. I may just have to forgo the trip over to Zanzibar to avoid the hassle. It would be nice tho'.

Ah well...it will get sorted one way or the other.

Other than all that confusion, I now have the Malarone anti-malarials (thanks again Express Pharmacy) ๐Ÿ’Šwhich were delivered and are now waiting for the time to move round until I start taking them.

Oh and as you know all to well, things are never that straight forward. I will also be given a prescription for HIV-PeP.

This has also opened debate about whether I take this with me or not. It's hugely expensive (around the £200-210 mark) and there is no guarantee that I am going to need it. However, you can never say never I suppose and I understand from what I have read, that there is a HIV prevalence in Tanzania.

This topic is still in discussion.

Other than a few slight points above it would appear that I am clear, in principal, to go. Once I am jabbed ๐Ÿ’‰and am given relevant prescriptions, I also get a certificate. ๐Ÿ“œ

"For good behaviour?" I hear you ask. Well yes I would like to think so, but I think it's more to do with travel requirements for the elective, than a feel good factor.

So there you have it, a rather convoluted report on my meeting with the OH/travel nurse. Once I am jabbed, I will let you know.

Guess what's going to happen now? Ah you're too good at this ☕☕

Ttfn

K x

Monday 3 April 2017

Humans vs Mozzies 2017

Evening all ๐Ÿ‘ฎ

Well it has been a crackin' day here in sunny Naarfook once again.
Good boost for the Vit' D levels methinks. (You get it from sunshine don't ya know)

Thinking of sunshine and all that, my dear admin' has struck gold again Au.

www.expresspharmacy.co.uk  
There is a lovely lady called Marina working with the team over at Express Pharmacy. Admin' sent a very nice email to them and they have agreed to support me for the elective with the relevant anti-malarials.
"Marvellous"

I am not sure who was more shocked and amazed ๐Ÿ˜ฒme or my dear admin'.

You know how it goes, you send out an email with a hope that someone may read it, then you hope that they can help you and if they can't, you at least hope for a reply that says 'apologies but not on this occasion' or 'no, sorry'.

Well this one was fab'. It's so exciting (and I just can't hide it, I'm about to lose control and I think I like it........Aha...you are singing it too - cool ๐Ÿ˜Ž).

And the speed with which the lovely Marina replied was lightening quick.

True to her word, Marina very kindly advised me of the correct anti-malarials to take with me and arranged it so that I could order them online and have them delivered to my home.

As I sit and tell you this cool bit of news, I am waiting on a delivery by Royal Mail with the little Malarone gems from Express Pharmacy, that will put paid to the risk of malaria in Tanzania.

'Say hello and say goodbye'... 
"Are you singing again?"
Seeing as the bloody mozzies treat me like a complete buffet lunch, they are much needed.

So I can work quite happily in Dar es Salaam with two digits rampant to the mozzies.

Enter stage right - Mr. Mozzie Osborn!!


So yes, there we are, another amazing nugget of news about help received for my elective.
I am so lucky and I continue to thank everyone who has helped me to date. I am so very grateful.

Anyways I'm off for ....yeah okay.....coffee. ☕

"Would you like a coffee Mr O?"   
"Yes?"   
"Good ๐Ÿ˜ŠI need to tell you what I just told them all in the blog, about what I have been given".

ttfn

K x





So there we are, students together, sat in another lecture...


Hellooo ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

Yeah I know, its kinda like a Mrs Doubtfire greeting, but why not.

In all my ramblings about my elective and all the great stuff that's happening, I realised that I had not told you why I decided to do the elective, why Tanzania and how I came to choose Work the World to organise it all.

So, if you are sitting comfy and all that jazz, I'll tell ya.

Sometime back, sat in one of many lectures, we were all told about electives and that we could do this at the end of our 2nd year.

"Hmmmm....me liking this thought...." 

Cogs ⛮⛯ on stealth mode in my brain ⛮⛯, well doing something anyways ๐Ÿ˜

So yes, I get home and the conversation with Mr O gets round to how was my day at Uni' and what did I do? bless him, he's a goodun' ๐Ÿ˜‡
And yes, its after the 'walk in the door' coffee ☕☕ (you lot know me so well - we're almost on first name terms!!)

So, I get to saying about the elective idea but dismiss it because I can see it's expensive.
However, dear Mr O says this is not a problem, let's discuss the idea further.

๐Ÿ’ฌ

The positives now outweigh the negatives and my excitement at being able to do something that I had only dreamed of, is becoming a reality. ๐Ÿ™Œ

Woohoo!! cool, I can do the elective (dances round the room) ๐Ÿ˜Ž

Then Mr O pipes up "Hold up...that's all very well dancing round but where are you going to go and who will organise it for you?"

"oh bugger!...didn't get that far"

So we sit down and start looking round online at what's out there for nursing students like my good self.
Well, we looked at numerous sites and places ๐Ÿ‘€ and sites and places ๐Ÿ‘€ and more sites.
There were sooo many.

I had a think and realised that to narrow this very wide margin of choice, I first had to choose the company. I have learnt to go with gut instinct as it is usually the correct choice. Hence then I had a good gut feeling about Work the World. 
Voila!!

Yes, except that they have sooo many great places to go to ⛰⛲⛵✈⛺ brilliant but more choices.

So like you are now, I was reading the various blogs that they had available.
We looked at pictures taken by previous students and eventually narrowed it down further still.

Eventually I decided on Tanzania as it was a place that I had not been before, I would be outside of my comfort zone and I felt that if I could manage being away from home, in another country for three weeks and working there too, then hell, I could manage most things.

So there we were, we had decided on the elective, the country and the company ๐Ÿ™Œ.
Sounds straight forward but it took us ages to do.
Lots to consider and all that. I am sure you can imagine what is involved in sorting this out.
However, Work the World are what you might call a slick operator and have this all in hand. ๐Ÿ‘

I now have a timeline to keep me organised as to what I need to get done and when. They arrange all the stuff in country such as accommodation, placements etc. All we had to do apart from pay, is complete the various tasks on the timeline. ๐Ÿ“‘

Everything is clearly laid out and they are only too willing to help where they can. All in all I think they're brill' and would suggest these people to anyone.

I also found out that they have had many dealings with students at the UEA for their electives.

You remember I said about gut feelings? Well I was correct. Everyone I've spoken to about them have all had positive things to say.
Oh yes, that's another thing, they've asked me to say a bit about my experience of the elective in Tanzania too. They have spoken to me already and will speak to me when I am there in August. Exciting times.

Mind you, Mr O is not looking forward to being home alone.
He'll be ok I am sure and I will soon be back home. He'll probably wish I were going back out there again after I have told him about 'that time when..', a dozen times ๐Ÿ˜œ

So, thank you gut, you won again, let me give you a coffee ☕

Ttfn to you all

K x

Sunday 2 April 2017

Good evening all


Good evening and welcome ๐Ÿ˜ƒ

Well what a week or so it's been.

Well I had the mock exam and found out what I need to revise. I think its going to take lots of reading and preparation. I am planning to put together a revision plan.

I am going to do this with my friends in Uni as many heads are better than one. Especially if it involves research ๐Ÿ˜•

Other than that, I have been to NSFT (Norfolk & Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust) and had a photo shoot session for the article that will appear in their staff magazine called Insight magazine. I have also spoken to a very nice lady called Liz who has now written said article.

This will be seen by people that I used to work with and by those I am yet to work with and is available on their website.

Of course this is not forgetting that NSFT have agreed to donate some CPR face masks for the coming elective.
What I refer to are the face shields that are used when doing the rescue breaths in CPR, so that I don't get a face full of vomit.
๐Ÿ˜ท๐Ÿ˜จ๐Ÿ˜ถ
"Ewww๐Ÿ˜จI hear you shout.....not half as bloody loud as I would shout with a face full of someone's previous meal.
However, keeping one's mouth shut could be preferable in such a situation ๐Ÿ˜ถ.

So anyways, yes I am lucky, once again to be given another vital piece of equipment for the elective and I am grateful to be receiving them.

Keep smiling all

Ttfn

K x